Weston water rates increasing 20 to 30 percent

Thursday

The Board of Selectmen approved new water rates last week, with increases of 20 to 30 percent effective immediately depending on how much water is used by a property owner.

The new rate for the first tier will be $1.73 per 100 cubic feet, with one cubic foot equaling 7-and-a-half gallons of water.

Customers in this tier use a maximum of 5,000 cubic feet of water per year.

The middle tier, which uses between 5,000 and 15,000 cubic feet of water, will pay $5.08 per 100 cubic feet.

In the third tier, for properties consuming over 15,000 cubic feet, the new rate is $9.84 per 100 cubic feet.

Even with the new rates, Finance Director Susan Kelley told the selectmen that Weston is “considerably lower than the average of comparable towns.”

Selectman Christopher Houston noted that two-thirds of the total water use in town is consumed by the third tier.

Analyzing the data, selectmen Chairman Harvey Boshart said that two months worth of running an average house in Weston equals the same amount of water use as watering a 1 acre-sized lawn for one week.

“It’s very hard, in my opinion, to get into the third tier,” he said.

The Weston Public Schools is in the third tier based on its water usage. In the 2017-18 school year, the school district used 2.5 million cubic feet of water.

Houston estimated the increased cost for water for the Weston Public Schools under the new rates will be $35,000 to $40,000 per year.

“It’s not going to break their budget,” Boshart said.

A new wireless water meter reading system will be put in place over the next year, allowing town employees to quickly monitor and read meters, and allow for better forecasting of future water consumption. It will also allow residents to monitor personal water use and alert the Department of Public Works to potential leaks or other issues.

Water bills are sent twice a year, in the fall and spring. For tips on how to conserve water, visit mwra.com/comsupport/conservation/hometips.htm. This website also has information on how to maintain a healthy lawn without relying on heavy irrigation.